Transcript Ancient River Valley Civilizations

1. What two rivers run
through the Fertile
Crescent?
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
2. Which two river valley
civilizations are shown on
this map?
Egypt & Mesopotamia
3. In what present day
country is Mesopotamia
located?
Iraq
Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAGEOGRAPHY
 POSITIVE
 NEGATIVE
 abundant amount of clay
 few natural resources
 easy till-able soil
 minimal protection from
 water supply from Tigris-
Euphrates Rivers
deserts and mountains
*NOTES*
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.)
“land in between the rivers”
Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization?
1.
Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in the Middle East
2.
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for farming
3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible
*NOTES*
WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN MESOPOTAMIA?
1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes &
people
2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for
farming
3. This land was vulnerable to attack and
invasion
Farming in Mesopotamia
You’re going to create a Mesopotamian Farming manual
 You will have a total of 6 steps, describe the steps in
order and next to each description draw a picture that
represents the step.
Steps to farming in Mesopotamia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Local officials decide when to let water flow onto
crops
Farmers let animals graze in soil to trample and eat
weeds.
Farmers break up the soil using hand tools
Spread seeds and plow
Plant seeds
Harvest the plants
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: The Development of Written Language
city-state
Definition: A self-governing state consisting of a city and
surrounding territory
Context: Nippur was the most important city-state in Sumer.
cuneiform
Definition: The system of writing used by the ancient
Sumerians
Context: Cuneiform writing looks more like symbols than
pictures.
demon
Definition: An evil spirit
Context: According to Sumerian legend, Gilgamesh killed the
demon Huwawa with the help of the sun god.
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: The Development of Written Language
epic
Definition: A long poem telling the deeds of a hero and often centering on the
ideals of a nation or culture
Context: The Epic of Gilgamesh teaches us to enjoy the time we have on Earth.
immortality
Definition: The quality or state of having an endless life
Context: Gilgamesh was unable to achieve immortality, but he was able to leave
behind a legacy through the work he had done during his lifetime.
Mesopotamia
Definition: An ancient land located where we find the modern country of Iraq
Context: Mesopotamia means, “land between the rivers” and got its name
because it was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Nippur
Definition: A major city-state in the ancient Sumerian region of Mesopotamia
Context: Nippur was a busy trading center in Sumer and its most important
religious city.
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: The Development of Written Language
scribe
Definition: A person paid to write, especially in ancient times
Context: Mesopotamian scribes worked closely with the priests and kings.
stylus
Definition: A hard, pointed writing tool cut from a reed
Context: Sumerian scribe wrote with styluses they made from reeds.
Sumerians
Definition: Residents of Sumer, a region of the ancient land of Mesopotamia
Context: The Sumerians developed many inventions, such as the wheel and the
plow.
tablet
Definition: A flat slab – often of clay or stone – suitable for an inscription
Context: The Sumerians etched symbols into wet clay tablets to create a
permanent document of their activities.
Questions
Mesopotamia: The Development of Written Language
1.
What was the importance of scribes in
Mesopotamia?
2.
Why did the scribes have greater access to
the priests and kings than other people in
the city-states?
3.
How long did it take to train a scribe?
4. What is the name of the training school
where scribes learn how to write?
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia:
From Nomads to Farmers
ancestors
.Definition: People in one’s family, from whom one is descended
Context: Your ancestors include your grandparents, great grandparents, and
great-great grandparents.
cuneiform
Definition: The system of writing used by the ancient Sumerians
Context: Cuneiform writing consists of characters with wedge-shaped parts.
domestication
Definition: The taming of wild animals to use for farming or to be kept as pets
Context: The domestication of sheep and goats helped the Mesopotamians
become farmers.
Euphrates River
Definition: One of the rivers that borders what was the land of Mesopotamia.
Context: The Euphrates River bordered Mesopotamia to the west.
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
. journal
Definition: A record of personal experiences and thoughts kept on a regular
basis
Context: Writing a journal can help you understand yourself.
levee
Definition: Earthen dams constructed to hold back floodwaters
Context: A levee system helped the Mesopotamians farm their most fertile
land.
Mesopotamia
Definition: An ancient land located where we find the modern country of Iraq
Context: Mesopotamia means, “land between the rivers” and got its name
because it was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
. Nippur
Definition: A major city-state in the ancient Sumerian region of Mesopotamia
Context: Nippur was a busy trading center in Sumer and its most important
religious city.
scribe
Definition: A person paid to write, especially in ancient times
Context: The job of a scribe was considered important in Sumer.
stylus
Definition: A hard, pointed writing tool cut from a reed
Context: Sumerians pressed the point of a stylus into wet clay in order to write.
Vocabulary
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
.
Sumerians
Definition: Residents of Sumer, a region of the ancient land of Mesopotamia
Context: Sumerians developed a culture whose members farmed and traded
instead of hunting and gathering to make a living.
Tigris River
Definition: One of the rivers that borders what was the land of Mesopotamia
Context: The Tigris River bordered Mesopotamia to the east.
Questions
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why did the ancient Sumerians look for new ways to
produce their food?
How did growing crops and domesticating animals
like sheep and goats allow the Sumerians to build
cities and live in one place all year long?
What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?
Between which rivers did Mesopotamia lie?
Why did the soil of the Mesopotamian region of
Sumer grow such good crops?
What problem at first made farming difficult there
and how did the Sumerians solve it?
Questions
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
In what other way did the Sumerians control the
rivers?
What important farming tool did the Sumerians
invent?
What else did the Mesopotamians invent?
What do we call their system of writing?
What tools did the Mesopotamians use for writing?
What did the Sumerians put into writing before any
other society?
What was the name of the temple where Sumerians
believed their gods lived?
Of what material were the houses in Sumerian cities
made?
ZIGGURATS
BABYLONIAN ZIGGURAT
*NOTES*
THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:
1.
Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)
(3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)
2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)
( 1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.
3.
Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)
(1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)
4. Persians (Persian Empire)
(539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)